Visiting Nara and need a suggestion for where to eat?  A stone’s throw from Kintetsu Nara Station in 東向北商店街 (Higashimukita shopping district), Sakura Burger is a great place either pre- or post- deer feeding (just wash your hands, you animal!) or Temple viewing (be honest, you went for the deer).

Beware though, we happened to stumble upon it right as they opened (11 am for lunch), the queue starts early!  By the time we left, it was wrapped around with at least 20 people. 

Burgers aren’t the most adventurous option when there are so many Japanese foods to try, but Sakura Burger is popular for a reason!

Sakura Burger Menu

The menu starts with the Sakura Burger choices which means they have their own smoked bacon on them with several different customization options. Avocado, sauteed onion, egg, and different sauces.

There are a few other options as well, avocado burgers tend to be a favorite of mine (anything with avocado in actuality, especially guacamole).  If you are pescetarian or vegetarian, there are fish and veggie burgers as well.

Hot dogs with a myriad of topping options and the hot sandwich options round out the holdable options.

To get a tasting of their other business (Asuka Smoke Works) where they do their smoking, you can try the sausage plates, curry worst and bacon steak. Or if you just want to have a sampling, there is a sample plater too!

The Name Sake: Sakura Burger

When you have a namesake menu item, I’m going to try it.  The Sakura Burger is a homemade patty with smoked thick-cut bacon, lettuce, tomato, and pickle.  As aforementioned I love avocado statements, I had to have some added to mine! And if you haven’t had egg added to your burger (a trait of “Navy Burgers” in Japan), try it!

Seasoned with salt, pepper, and their homemade tartar sauce, it’s delectable. When served, the waitress pointed out to ‘please try our homemade ketchup along with your burger’. 

It’s on the table so you can decide how much you want.  Trust me, you won’t want to go back to HFCS Ketchup every again. It’s good.

Asuka Smoke Works

Sakura Burgers manages the Asuka Smoke Works as well. This is where the yummy bacon, sausage, hot dogs, (and they smoke chicken!) comes from. But also, if you have ever wondered how to make sausage, they have a workshop on it!

Yes, there is a special way to eat burgers

Did you notice the paper wrapping around my burger? If you’ve been following along, you’ve seen those before. Leave that burger in there! It helps keep all the goodness together and makes it much easier to eat.

Especially when you get a monstrosity of a sandwich like I did! It also helps to make sure that the sauce doesn’t go all over the front of you (I’ve mentioned before how I’m a klutz).

Drink Local

I like trying the local beer wherever I go. It’s actually how I ended up finding Sakura Burger and they didn’t disappoint in that area.  They have several local breweries beer available. After walking through the park for hours, having a Nara Local Craft Beer was very refreshing.

The Atmosphere

The place has a good vibe to it, it’s pretty small but cozy.  One of the tables even consists of a couch in the back of the restaurant.  The staff is very friendly and helpful.

I’m a fan of their logo.  A cowboy on a deer. They do close down for an hour in the afternoon between lunch and dinner so make sure you don’t hit them at the wrong time.  Also, don’t let the crowd scare you, it’s worth the wait!

Have you been to Nara? What are your food recommendations?

Japan may be known for its sake but beer is everywhere! There are beer festivals all year round.  All of the beer gardens come out to play in summer.  What seems like all major department stores have a rooftop beer garden. Wander around Tokyo enough and you are sure to find a Kirin Ichiban Garden.

Location of Kirin Ichiban Garden

Good luck finding information about Kirin Ichiban Garden on the internet.  I’m not joking that you have to go wandering to find one of these.  The first time I saw one was up the hill from Shibuya’s famous crossing.  

I went looking for it in 2016 and it was gone!  Thing is, they are mobile. Who knew?

I found one by chance while I was in Ometo-sando for Q-Pot Cafe’s yearly Sailor Moon cafe event. The atmosphere and style was different than the first year’s pop-up Kirin Beer Garden.

The offerings at Kirin Beer Garden

This year (2016), it wasn’t just beer! Different booths/food trucks made it feel like a festival.  A map was on the Kirin Beer Garden menu.  Options of pizza, fries, and a grill with multiple options.  

The fun part? Beer from different breweries – yet all Kirin!  Every summer I notice “special can” Kirin and never could figure out what it was.  Apparently, each of Kirin’s breweries does there own special run (or that’s my understanding at least).  Throughout the summer, you can try three different types each week from 38 different breweries across the country.

Kirin Beer Garden Atmosphere

When we got there, it was a weekday early afternoon and the place was hopping!  We were happy to find a stand-up table. Wood planked floors and retractable sunshades finished the venue off. I wish I’d had the opportunity to go back at night (Tokyo summer days are HOT), maybe next year I’ll come across one again!

Each of the stand up tables had flags with the Kirin logo.

A look at the crowd.  Bring your friends!

The big names of Japanese beer have slowly been jumping on the craft brew wagon as it becomes more and more popular in Japan.  Kirin got in the game back in 2012 according to their Facebook page. However, advertisements and sales didn’t start until 2015 of Kirins Craftmanship beers (and this is exactly when I started drinking them!).  Japan is big into the “limited edition”/”seasonal only” thing so there are winter varieties and spring varieties as well as year round options.  

Kirins Craftmanship Brews

Kirins Craftmanship brews have settled into a JPL (Japanese Pale Lager), IPA (India Pale Ale) and a White ale as the “norms”. Some of the specials have been a Belgium white, Lemon Beer, Saison, Dip hop Weizenbock, and a bunch more.

I would venture to say, some are very Japanese.  I love Japanese lagers. They are great tasting, more close to the original German that they came from than what our mass produced beers have become today (Sorry, Anheuser-Busch, I love you, but Japan is better).  These are not that.  Very Japanese = an acquired taste.  Not bad.  Not that I wouldn’t drink it. Just takes some getting used to.  (Way to promote the beer, ne?)

Really though, they start to grow on you like all other “weird” Japanese tastes.  We’re not talking natto here (fermented soy bean brown mushy paste like substance for those not aware.  Most American’s I know can’t stand it, I’ve learned to love it, but I’m also one that can’t put a finger on a food I DON’T like) but perhaps a seaweed salad.  I LOVE seaweed salad.  It’s a situation of the first bite being apprehensive “eh, I don’t know about this” to “man, this is really good!”.  Same goes for the beers.

雨のち太陽セゾンビール

Here’s one of the special ones.  雨のち太陽セゾンビール  which I’m going to take the liberty to translate to “Rainy Season Saison Beer” until one of my Japanese friends tells me different :).  Would be a good one to have at Kirin’s pop-up summer venues. This one tastes like a hefeweizen.  It’s definitely fruity and crisp.  Great for the mild beginnings of summer.